Although swapping “alien” with “noncitizen,” and other similar language changes would be primarily symbolic, advocates say that symbolism can spur real effects on the ground.
“Words absolutely matter. We don’t have to put the word ‘illegal,’ for example, before jaywalking,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said at the immigration subcommittee meeting with Lofgren earlier this month.
This could prove particularly important during the pandemic, when public health officials must gain the trust of immigrant communities to encourage them to get tested for COVID-19 and vaccinated.
This trust has been in part eroded under the Trump administration, which ramped up immigration enforcement at state courthouses and implemented its public charge rule, which stated that immigrants would be denied green cards for previously using public assistance programs. Advocates argue this immigration rule has had a chilling effect on immigrant usage of free health services, regardless of whether the services would have actually counted against them.
“I do think that change of language, in tone — and obviously policies as well — can really help change how people feel in their level of fear,” said Kerri Talbot, director at Immigration Hub and former chief counsel for Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. “It’s really critical, obviously in a pandemic, to make sure people feel comfortable coming forward and getting testing and vaccines.”
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February 18, 2021 at 06:05PM
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Under Biden, new immigration tone takes center stage - Roll Call
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